Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that Russian air defenses fired two missiles at an Azerbaijani airliner before it crashed in Kazakhstan last December, killing 38 of the 67 people on board.
Putin said the missiles exploded near the plane and caused it to go down after it changed course while traveling from Baku to Grozny. He partly linked the incident to Russian forces tracking Ukrainian drones in the area.
⚡️⚡️BREAKING: Putin meets with Aliyev — and apologizes live on air
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) October 9, 2025
The Russian dictator opened the meeting in Dushanbe by proposing to discuss the AZAL plane crash involving the Azerbaijani airline.
During the conversation, Putin recalled his earlier apology for the tragedy,… pic.twitter.com/JQLrc5EMoo
Putin made the remarks during a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Dushanbe, calling the incident “a tragic mistake.”
He offered condolences and pledged a full legal review and compensation. The admission marks Moscow’s closest acknowledgment of responsibility so far.
The crash had sharply strained relations between Russia and Azerbaijan, leading to diplomatic and cultural tensions. Aliyev thanked Putin for personally overseeing the investigation and urged swift resolution.
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